An American Gaming Association survey estimates that 22.7 million American punters will place bets on Sunday’s Super Bowl LIII.
This is the first Super Bowl since legalizing sports betting in the USA last May. It would be up to each state to decide whether or not they wanted it.
Since then at least 15 states have taken steps to introduce legislation that will allow sports betting. But to date only eight, led by New Jersey, have active sports betting industries on the go.
New Jersey has been particularly successful, raking in wagering handle of about R1.25 billion since DraftKings became the first of 10 operators to open a sportsbook in the Garden State.
The AGA’s survey, conducted on their behalf by Morning Consult, also indicated that nearly 2 million of the 22.7 million bets would be placed with illegal bookmakers or with offshore online sportsbooks.
Why
This because of the fact that sports betting in the USA is not yet available coast to coast and the Wire Act prevents cross-border, out-of-state online wagering.
In the meantime, Bill Miller, AGA’s president and chief executive officer is brimming with positivity about the future of the American sports betting industry.
“The interest in legal, regulated sports betting in the United States has never been higher,” he said in a statement released to the press this week.
“More Americans than ever before will be able to place their bets with legal sportsbooks now operating in eight states. This will generate valuable revenue for state, local and tribal governments and increasing fan engagement with the game.
“This survey’s results, however, also point to the continued viability of the dangerous, illegal sports betting market in America.
“It is more important than ever for jurisdictions to enact sound policies that provide a safe, legal alternative. All protections for the nearly 23 million Americans who will place a bet on the big game.”
According to the AGA, the survey had 2,201 online adult participants on January 22.
They weighted data to approximate a target sample of adults “based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region.”
Nevada was the only state in which sports betting was operational during Super Bowl LII last year.
Eight states have activated sports betting since the ousting of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May. Namely New Jersey, Delaware, Mississippi, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
